The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Bridgend County Borough Council

Caerphilly County Borough Council

Carmarthenshire County Council

Ceredigion County Council

Conwy County Borough Council

Denbighshire County Council

Flintshire County Council

Gwynedd Council

Isle of Anglesey County Council

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Monmouthshire County Council

Newport City Council

Powys County Council

Torfaen County Borough Council

Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council

Wrexham County Borough Council

Neath and Port Talbot County Borough Council

The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff

The Council of the City and County of Swansea

Pembrokeshire County Borough Council

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

All Wales Looked After Children Foster Care Framework.

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services
Service category No 25: Health and social services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Wales.

NUTS code UKL

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators
maximum number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged: 37

Duration of the framework agreement

Duration in years: 6
Justification for a framework agreement, the duration of which exceeds four years: Framework duration of 6 years that is, a fixed term of 3 years with an option to extend for (i) a period of up to two years, and (ii) for a further period of up to one year provided that the Framework Agreement does not go beyond 30.4.2022.
This procurement falls under the Light Touch Regime and accordingly is governed by Regulations 74-77 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Regulation 33 (Framework agreements) does not apply to this procurement. So as to bring further benefits to the services being procured and in order to allow Providers to develop new solutions to care for children in Wales, the Council is seeking to put in place a longer term Framework Agreement.

Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement

Estimated value excluding VAT: 300 000 000 GBP

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

An All Wales Framework Agreement for Children’s Placements in Foster Care will be implemented by Wales Local Authorities.
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is acting on behalf of itself and the following Wales Local Authorities to procure this framework:
— Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council;
— Bridgend County Borough Council;
— Caerphilly County Borough Council;
— Carmarthenshire County Council;
— Ceredigion County Council;
— Conwy County Borough Council;
— Denbighshire County Council;
— Flintshire County Council;
— Gwynedd Council;
— Isle of Anglesey County Council;
— Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council;
— Monmouthshire County Council;
— Neath and Port Talbot County Borough Council;
— Newport City Council;
— Pembrokeshire County Council;
— Powys County Council;
— The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff;
— The Council of the City and County of Swansea;
— Torfaen County Borough Council;
— Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council;
— Wrexham County Borough Council.
The value of the proposed Framework Agreement has been calculated with reference to the historical spend of all of those named local authorities. It should be noted that it is up to each of the named individual local authorities to decide if and at what stage they may choose to place reliance on the proposed Framework Agreement and to this end the Council, as lead authority in this procurement, offers no guarantee of volume or value in respect of any future expenditure and further that the number of local authorities who decide to place reliance upon the proposed Framework Agreement may vary during the term of the same.
Our expectation is that by providing greater business certainty to selected Foster Providers, Local Authorities will be better placed to achieve their objectives to improve outcomes for looked after children; offer alternative solutions to care for Looked After children in Wales; develop greater placement capacity and achieve better value for money.
The proposed Framework Agreement will be divided into 3 main Lots and 2 sub-lots, as set out below:
— Lot 1: Foster Care — South and Mid Wales Region;
— Lot 2: Foster Care — North Wales Region;
— Lot 3: Innovation and Bespoke Solutions — subdivided into Sub-Lot 3a: Innovation and Bespoke Solutions — Physical Disability and SEN and Sub-Lot 3b: Innovation and Bespoke Solutions — Universal Approach.
Tenderers can bid for 1 or more Lots.
The selection process for individual placement contracts will be described in the draft framework agreement, to be sent out to successful candidates with the invitation to tender.
For the avoidance of doubt this Procurement falls under the Light Touch Regime and, as such, is governed by Regulation 74-77.

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): yes

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: yes
Tenders may be submitted for one or more lots

II.1.9)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

Estimated value excluding VAT: 300 000 000 GBP

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: no

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 72 (from the award of the contract)

Information about lots

Lot No: 1 Lot title: South and Mid Wales region

1)Short description

Lot 1 requires Foster Care Providers for the South and Mid Wales region.

2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

85311300, 85000000, 85300000, 85310000, 85320000

3)Quantity or scope

A maximum of 15 Providers will be awarded to this Lot, covering 15 Local Authorities in South and Mid Wales.

4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion

5)Additional information about lots

Lot No: 2 Lot title: North Wales Region

1)Short description

Foster Care Providers to cover the North Wales region.

2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

85311300, 85000000, 85300000, 85310000, 85320000

3)Quantity or scope

A maximum of 14 providers will be awarded to this Lot, covering 6 Local Authorities in North Wales.

4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion

5)Additional information about lots

Lot No: 3 Lot title: Innovation and Bespoke Solutions

1)Short description

— Lot 3a — Physical Disability and/or SEN;
— Lot 3b — Universal / open.
To develop new solutions to the changing needs of children and young people in care or at risk of becoming looked after. A Strategic Enterprise Panel will be established by the Council to facilitate strategic partnership between local authorities and providers on Lot 3.

2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

85311300, 85000000, 85300000, 85310000, 85320000, 80000000

3)Quantity or scope

Lot 3a — Maximum of 3 providers will be awarded to this Lot.
Lot 3b — Maximum of 5 providers will be awarded to this Lot.

4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: no

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

III.2.3)Technical capacity

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Restricted

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

Envisaged number of operators: 37

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

RCT/PSS/R389/15

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

2.11.2015 – 12:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

5.1.2016

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

VI.3)Additional information

(WA Ref: 34888).
Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:
will be further detailed in the Invitation to Tender Pack.
Bidders should note that the services which are the subject of this procurement fall within Schedule 3 to the new Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (‘the 2015 Regulations’) and accordingly the so called ‘Light Touch Regime’, as set out in Regulations 74-77, applies to this procurement. To this end the Council has chosen to follow a procurement procedure which is akin to the Restricted Procedure. For the avoidance of doubt the Council is not required to procure these services in line with the full extent of the 2015 Regulations, and is only obliged to comply with those parts of the 2015 Regulations which apply to the Light Touch Regime. That said, this procurement will follow a clear, structured and transparent process in order to ensure a fair and level playing field is maintained at all time and that all bidders are treated equally and fairly.
The Council reserves the right to award all, part or none of the business forming the subject matter of this procurement and to abandon, halt, postpone this procurement at any time. Under no circumstances will the Council incur any liability (including, but not limited to, liability as to costs) in respect of this procurement exercise, the abandonment of the same, or any documentation issued as part of this procurement exercise.
It is proposed that existing placements will transfer to the new Framework Agreement. The detail as to the transitional arrangements will be set out in the Invitation to Tender documentation.

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained